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tv   Today  NBC  September 6, 2012 7:00am-9:00am EDT

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good morning. life of the party. former president bill clinton delivers a speech they democratic national convention blasting republicans in the throes of a bad economy, making the case for four more years. >> no esident, not me, not any of my predecessor, no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. >> afterwards, a surprise appearance from president obama, setting the stage for his big moment tonight. rough seas. hurricane leslie gaining
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strength, as partial remnants of isaac reemerge in the gulf of mexico. and, oops, a building implosion goes off without a hitch until a huge cloud of debris engulfs a crowd of onlookers. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the democratic national convention with matt lauer live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza and savannah guthrie, live in charlotte, north carolina. >> and welcome to a special split edition of "today" on this thursday morning. good morning, i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic national convention in charlotte. >> and i'm matt lauer in new york. savannah, you look at that implosion video. someone clearly for got to do the old which way was the wind
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going? meanwhile president obama already had a lot of pressure on him with his speech tonight. now he's got a really tough act to follow after what was an enthusiastic and powerful endorsement from former president bill clinton. >> this was a speech that was supposed to last about 28 minutes. it went on for 48 minutes. that's because he ad libbed quite a bit it have. i'm told by those who worked with him he added back in things that had been taken out for time. the former president vowed the economy would get better in a second term. chelsea clinton was in the audience. hillary clinton was traveling and did not see the speech live but later watched it at the ambassador residence on a computer by a sling box. i was told can you see the picture of her expression there that she may not have blinked during the entire speech. she didn't know president obama was coming out and nearly jumped out of her chair, i'm told, when she saw it.
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the democrats formally nominated president obama. can the president electrify the crowd like he did last year? and we'll have another "today" exclusive. we will reveal the new ad from the romney campaign aimed at voters who have fallen out of love with the president. >> it's amazing that president clinton doubled the length of the speech. it's kind of like you in the opens. i'm kidding. >> we'll talk about parents allowing their kids to play football and the other are these laundry pods and that it may look like candy to kids. and we'll have an interview with
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jessica simpson and the difficulty in losing her postbaby weight. >> david gregory is moderator of "meet the press ". good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. bill clinton simply owned the room here, stayed longer than he was supposed to but nobody seemed to mind. this was a speech that was a pitch to swing voters. he makes a positive reference to president bush about aid to africa but it was also brutally partisan. he talked about the hatred the republicans have for this president. above all it was an appearance that was the height of political stage craft. this was the moment, a surprise showing by the president and a political embrace for the predecessor designed to speak volum volumes.
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here, he vouched for president obama. >> i want to nominate a man who is cool on the outside but who burns for america on the inside. >> president clinton mocking the republican pitch for change. >> we left it a total mess. he hasn't cleaned it up fast enough so fire us and put us back in. >> criticizing governor romney's plans. >> as another president once said, there they go again. >> clinton, his voice weaker than in years past, was nevertheless happier than ever in the spotlight, covering the broad sweep of campaign debates and speaking longer than his allotted 28 minutes. he ad libbed often, here taking
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on paul ryan for attacking the president's medicare cut, while incorporating that same cut in his own budget. >> you got to give him one thing, it takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did. >> and with the first lady looking on, he hailed the president for embracing his rivals. >> heck, he even appointed hillary. >> through it all, the economy was the focus. clinton argued the president needs more time. >> president obama started with a much weaker economy than i did. no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. >> and promised millions watching on television that he believed with all his heart americans would feel an economic turn around in an obama second term. >> if you want a winner take all, you're on your own society, you should support the
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republican ticket. but if you want a country of shared opportunities and shared responsibility, a we're all in this together society, you should vote for barack obama and joe biden. >> so tonight it is president obama's moment. aides say he is going to lay out some of the pillars are a second term, try to become a little bit more specific. republicans i spoke to after the clinton speech said this is a president who still has to answer for poverty in the country, historic job losses and president obama will deliver that address now here in the hall because of the threat of severe weather. they don't want to do it in the stadium anymore. >> david gregory, thank you. it's a big morning for davids around here. david axelrod and david plouffe, white house visoadvis advisers. some had said he made the kate
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for president obama better than president obama makes the case for president obama. >> you want the strongest spe h speeches. he talked about how it has been, how his policies affected the country and president obama's policies and where we're going from here. he set up that choice. now the president can talk about the future, having cleared some of that underbrush out of the way. >> when you see the president, former president clinton ad libbing about that, you're a famously disciplined guy, are you biting your nails, david plouffe? be honest. >> not at all. that was a remarkable speech about the job the president has done. could have gone another 10, 15 minutes. we were captivated by the argument he made. >> one argument that stood out was no one could have repaired what the president found in just four years. he said if you renew the
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president's contract, you will feel the economic recovery. does that basically boil down what president obama's argument is, hang tough with me and the economy will get better and is that sufficient? >> i think you'll hear the president talk about where we need to go. the big point that president clinton made is there are things we need to do to move things along and shore up the middle class. >> is the president going to be specific? you don't hear an firm tiff case of the unfinished business. david brooks wrote ilt not clear what he will do if elected. >> i think it will be clear where he thinks we need to go and this whole week has laid out a choice, which it's a question for the american people, who with you trust to build the kind of economy that's going to work for the middle class. we think the republican ticket of romney and ryan are going to
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bring us back to what failed the middle class. but president obama's on the right path, wanting to stick with it. >> you two are the architects of the 2008 campaign, the hope and chang campaign. four years ago the president said change happens because the american people demand it, rise up and insist on new ideas, new leadership and new politics. guy, we do not have a new politics. are republicans right to hold him accountable for delivering that new politics. >> what he also said is change is hard, chang tax time, we have to are persistent, we have to stick with it. a lot has been accomplished. we ended a war, health care reform, financial reform and we stopped the freefall, as president clinton said, in our economy. we do have work to do in our politics and we think the verdict of the american people on november 6th is going to help change that.
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>> you had to move this venue indoors, it was unplanned. there will be no balloons as i understand it. are you searching for something festive since you've had to move inside? >> we think this is going to be the perfect capstone of a tremendous convention. i think the american people are getting a clear sense of where we are, where we've been and where the president will take the country. we think democrats and independence and republicans will be energized. >> the president will provide the festivities. >> i was just going for an answer about the balloons. >> on the republican side, the romney campaign is not laying low this week. they're out with a new ad that we are showing exclusively this morning and here it is. >> listen, this just isn't working. it's been four years. you've changed. your spending is out of control, you're constantly on the golf course and you're always out with hollywood celebrities. you think i didn't see you with sarah jessica parker and george clooney? your jobs council said you haven't showed up in six months.
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you're just not the person i thought you were. it not me, it you. >> no doubt about who this is targeting, single women voters. >> there's no question. they understand in the romney campaign that it's crucial to try to mitigate that as best they can. single women are going to be an important voting bloc, they always are. i think there's a larger part about this, savannah, those voters who like president obama great deal, are skeptical and don't think he can deliver the change he's talking about. that's a big target of opportunity for goff romney, those loosely committed voters. that's who he's trying to reach. >> mitt romney will be david's exclusive guest this sunday on "meet the press." you can see president obama's speech here at the democratic national convention tonight
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starting at 9:00 eastern time, 6:00 pacific. we want to go back to natalie morales with the top stories at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. a federal court has now cleared the way for the most contentious part of arizona's controversial immigration policy. officers can now check the immigration status of people during legal traffic stops if they have reason to suspect they're in the united states illegally. critics who call the pressure "show me your papers law" say had will lead to racial profiling. >> two bank robbers are on the run after they kidnapped a bank manager and strapped what they said was a bomb from her waist. a bomb squad detonated the device which turned out not to be an explosive. fortunately no one was injured. >> officials in costa rica are
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assessing the damage from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. the quake damaged buildings and roads and blew out windows. at least 20 people were injured. >> dramatic video from china this morning. a young girl riding her bike became pinned beneath a bus after it went out of control and hit her. rescuers had to carefully dig beneath her head to pull her to safety. amazingly, she escaped unharmed. >> and kayla tausche . >> traders expect a measured, not blowout solution to be announced. meanwhile here at home it a big week for jobs today. the number of americans filing for unemployment benefits is expected to fall ahead of tomorrow's all-important jobs numbers. traders looking for a hint in
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president obama's speech tonight. >> thanks so much kayla tausche. >> now to france where a crowd watching a standard building demolition got a little more than they bargained for where the wind changed direction, pushing the dust toward them. spectator tateors began running for cover with their hands over their mouths and noses just trying to breathe. >> the cowboys waited all year for another shot at the new york giants and last night they got it, beating the super bowl champs, 27-14 and a stellar performance for tony romo who threw for three touchdowns and 307 yard. >> it's not the way he wanted to end his professional career but andy roddick bid an emotional good-bye to fans. holding back tears, he waved to
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the crowd. and his wife covered her face as she watched sadly from the stands. classy guy, he did a lot for u.s. tennis but he does get to go home to brooklyn decker. >> always looking for the silver lining. >> i just said what you guys wanted to say. >> i'm glad you said it. >> much better. >> mr. roker, what's happening? >> well, we've got a couple of systems to talk about out into the atlantic. we've got michael, which is a category three storm. that's not going to cause any problems. weep are watching leslie, a category one storm, which could become a category two, right now 140 miles south, southeast of bermuda. track of the storm will bring it close to bermuda. it's also going to be causing dangerous rip currents up and down the eastern sea board. this is actually remnants of isaac out in the gulf. if it becomes a tropical storm
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>> good morning.become the temperature will be way above average for this time of year. a mixture of sun and clouds. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. an alarming new study is out that says nfl players are dying at a much higher risk of alzheimer's and other brain diseases. here's nancy snyderman. >> reporter: america's game
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kicked off last night. a study published online this month shows nfl players have a significantly higher risk of dying of of the degenerative brains brain diseases alzheimer's and als, commonly known as lou gehrig's disease. >> the common theme is repettive head injuries. by the time you're at the national football league, they've added up to many, many thousands if not tens of thousands of blows. >> reporter: professional football has long been a violent game. in recent years the nfl has taken aggressive measures to protect players from some of of the more serious head injuries and upped the ante to those who break the rules. wednesday on "today," roger goodell announced the league's partnership with the u.s. army and nih to study the effects of traumatic brain injuries. >> we're going to be funding $30
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million to fund new research that will hopefully help and accelerate the understanding of brain injuries. >> reporter: but for some players the research comes too late. steve gleason, formerly of the saints, has als, as does ex-nfler kevin turner. once forces on the field, they're struggling to make it through the simple tasks of daily living. this doctor wants to stop the disease. >> they have coaches that are least experienced, they almost never have any medical personnel on the sideline. >> reporter: as kids across america suit up to play like their nfl heros, parents have to consider the implications of this recent study. the price of playing today could man a tragic struggle tomorrow. for "today," dr. nancy
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snyderman, nbc news, new york. >> mike is a radio host and columnist for the new york daily news. good to see you. this is a tough study. football players almost four times more likely to die than the general public from als or alzheimer's. what's the impact on the sport sp. >> it's profound. this is me is the single greatest health crisis in sports. it's not going to go away. if you were buying a car and somebody said this is a great car but if you buy it you're four times more likely to die, are you going to buy that car? >> but you listen to the commissioner. he was here announcing a $30 million grant for the studying of brain injuries. first of all, was he trying to get out ahead of bad news with good news? and, secondly, how do you change the game itself to prevent this in the future? >> you can build space age helmets. they talk about all the improvements at the helmet companies, it's still going to be a violent sport.
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the tipping point is going to be when parents start saying i am not allowing my child to play this game anymore. >> does a study like this in your opinion take a lot of parents and push them over that line? >> oh, i think without a question. there's a great loon that arthur ashe once had about john mcenromcenro mcenroe's tennis game. he said "a nick here, a nick there and pretty soon you're bleeding to death." you're going to suffer over time. >> you can make the helmets space age but the fact of the matter is the culture of the sport is about dominating and intimidating your opponent if physically. that has to change? >> how many hits where the guy still leads with his head? we've had three suicides of ex-football players. concussion sounds like a benign
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expression. eight brain wound. you get practically one a game now in the national football league. >> 190 last year for 320 games played. >> any rational person looks at boxing and says why does this sport even exist? we're not there obviously. adam schefter from espn said there's one thing that can kill the golden goose in the national football league and it's what we're talking about. >> always good to get your perspective. thank you very much. >> it's 22 after the hour. will these findings make you less likely to allow your child to play football? let us know on today.com and we'll have the results tomorrow. >> coming up, another important warning for parents about so-called laundry pods that can look like candy to your kids. what's being done about it?
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still ahead, jessica simpson's revealing battle about losing her baby weight. >> plus we'll talk to the woman behind michelle obama's dress. and we'll have the school on her nail polish as well after your local news. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. the next generation and then countless more. how do you kill them? frontline plus. it uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to eliminate flea eggs and larvae, annihilating the next generation of fleas. and, frontline plus works non-stop for thirty days. no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. ask your vet about frontline plus. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas,
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with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. we continue to follow breaking news into the newsroom. former ravens owner art modell has passed away. he died at johns hopkins or a.m. this morning. his sons john and david were at his side. he had been having increasingly failing health of light.
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our thoughts and condolences go out to the family this morning. let's check in the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> busy in terms of today's. disclosure in effect at route 1. that is in the darlington region. 95 is your alternate for that. 95 out of the northeast, delays approaching white marsh towards the 895 split. southbound 83, down from padonia, you will see delays. 16 16 mi. per hour. 25 mi. per hour on average there. watch for an accident in millersville. 29 and 108, problem-free at the moment.
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that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> another warm and muggy start for us. dew points are in the upper 60s. nothing of any consequence around baltimore. 30% chance of a shower or thunderstorm today. a mixture of clouds and sunshine, high temperatures between 85 and 90. scattered thunderstorms over the weekend.
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you're looking at a picture of jessica simpson before, during and after her baby. now she's admitting to some real struggles losing her post-pregnancy weight. i think a lot of women are going to say that what she's saying is very revealing and refreshing to hear from a celebrity. we'll tell you more about that coming up in just a little while. it's 7:30 on a thursday morning, september 6, 2012. i'm matt lauer at studio 1a in new york city and savannah is in north carolina at the democratic national convention. >> president obama was supposed to deliver his acceptance speech tonight at a 70,000 seat outside stadium.
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but with thunderstorms in the forecast, a last-minute decision was made to hold it at the time warner cable arena, a much smaller venue. we'll have more, including a live interview with the president's brother-in-law and sister, too. >> an alert to parents on these things right here, thee detergent pods. they're convenient but your kid can confuse them for candy. it's been a problem. coming up what manufacturers are planning to do about that problem. and a little later on we'll get the low down on michelle obama's fashion choices at the democratic convention from the woman who designed her dress. that is tracy reese, savannah. >> all right. let's begin this half hour with two other people who have made an impression here at this convention, president obama's brother-in-law craig robinson and his sister, who spoke to the delegates on tuesday night. good morning to both of you. craig, i'm going to start with you because i hear you're a
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fashionista. did your sister talk to you about what she should wear? >> absolutely. it was all my decision. >> you'll take all the credit. >> she's her own woman. she looked great, she did a great job. i washhi her fashion sense. >> me, too. >> maya, will the me ask you about your brother. one thing people have come to know about him is he's fiercely competitive. do you think he's really thought about what happens if i lose, what happens if i don't win a second term? is that a motivating this evening for him? >> i mean, i think he's a pragmatist on some levels so he has had to consider the possibility. that being said, he's not operating with the assumption that he will be leaving any time soon. he really feels that the second term is needed to implement his vision and he's confident that people will recognize the difference between the two platforms and find that the
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democratic platform and his vision is much more inclusive and supportive and helpful. >> craig, i have to ask you about your sister because she was very candid in her speech about the fact that she was something of a reluctant political spouse. she wasn't sure this was the road she wanted to go on. can you talk about that transformation and why you think she's more willing to embrace it now? >> i think from the very start she was concerned about her family. growing up in our household, we had a very normal childhood and she wanted that sort of normalcy, full of down home values, education, hard work. she wand that for her girls. and there was some question about whether could you have that if you were a first lady or your children lived in the white house. i think once she realized that she could have some semblance of that in the job she has as mom in chief, i think she became much more comfortable and just
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began to thrive. >> we're out of time. very quickly, it's impossible to think an experience like this wouldn't change these people you know so well. do you see big changes in them in. >> not at all, not in the fundamentals. they touch ground and find their center and their rituals that they have to spend type with family and spend holidays in hawaii and in the normalcy that they provide their kid. they are entirely themselves. >> maya, nice to see you, craig robinson as well. appreciate it. >> and now we'll go back to new york to get a check of the weather with al. >> thanks so much, savannah. the heat continues in the mid section of the country. the toasters are working overtime. san antonio, 100 degrees, same in brownsville and houston.
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portland, oregon up to 87. same temperatures in new york city. dangerous rip currents from leslie along the carolinacaroli. high of about 85. 84 by sunday, you'll be looking at temperatures in chipe >> good morning. it will be another warm and humid day with a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm. and don't forget, check that weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.comline. matt?
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>> now an alert for parents on a new kind of laundry detergent that has become a damager for toddlers. >> this hits home for me. these are laundry pods. it's causing a lot of children to confuse them with candy, sometimes with devastating consequences. they're the latest in laundry, detergent pods, tiny packets that go right in the laundry. a time saver for parents. >> put one in, close the top and you're all set. >> but grownups aren't the only ones attracted to these pods. >> it looks like pods. >> their shape, their bright colors. >> with their shiny packaging and bright coloring, a lot of children are eating these
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detergent packets, confusing them with sweet treats. her daughter found a laundry pod on the floor and tried to eat it. >> vomiting, diarrhea. >> thankfully isabella recovered quickly but she's part of a growing number of children getting sick what way. >> i've never seen a consumer product that had that degree of injury in a small child. >> reporter: the pods came out just this year. already there have been almost 3,000 cases reported of accidental ingestion, approximately 13 cases her day reported to poison control centers nationwide. others experience drowsiness. >> when little kids bite into this concentrated detergent, it
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reacts within their body in a different way than regular detergent does. >> the american cleaning institute said "detergent manufacturers are reemphasizing the importance of keeping single unit dose laundry packets out of the reach of children. several of the manufacturers say they're redesigning the packaging so it's harder for them to get into. parents should keep them high up or not buy them until their kids are a little bit holder. >> good information. thank you very much. >> coming up, savannah will chat with eva longoria live at the democratic national convention in charlotte. but up next, jessica simpson opens up about losing her postbaby weight and the challenges she's faced, something a lot of women will be able to identify with. that's right after this. brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry
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we're back now at 7:42 with jessica simpson opening up about her struggle to lose her post-baby weight after giving birth to had her daughter maxwell drew back in may. diana alvear is here with more on that. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it may seem like a breath of fresh air, a celebrity mom that admits baby weight doesn't come off overnight. with a support system of family and friends and a little less fried chicken, she'll get there. jessica simpson's pregnancy and weight gain were well documented. paparazzi, a magazine cover, late-night tv. >> we're waddling at this point. and i'm wearing six-inch heels today.
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it's a lot of weight to carry on six-inch heels. >> now simpson is speaking out about her baby weight, four months after the birth of daughter maxwell drew, shown here on the june cover of "people" magazine. i didn't realize it didn't all come off with the baby, she tells "usa today." the pop star and actress admits it's been a challenge to lose the baby weight. i let myself indulge in everything i wanted because it was the first time i was pregnant and i wanted to enjoy it. >> she's a southern food, she likes fried food and fried chicken. >> reporter: while simpson won't confirm how much she gained, she's getting down to work to lose the weight. she's getting to the gym and has been holding weight watchers meetings for friends and family meetings at her home.
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>> she did say i'm not a super model. my body isn't bouncing back like a super model's body and i think a lot of people can relate to that. >> reporter: some other celebrities, like hillary duff, also a new mom, agreed. losing weight takes time. >> everybody wants their body back but all in time. it took nine months to get there. hopefully it won't take that long to get it off. >> reporter: moms at a local playground appreciate the reality check. >> if you're going to have a baby, your body is going to change. >> nobody can put that pressure on me. it's about me and my kids. >> reporter: for simpson, it's now her family that's the motivation for losing the weight. "i'm just your every day woman who is trying to feel good and be healthy for her daughter, her
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fees a fiancee and herself." >> people say it's time to give the girl a break. >> up next, a family of ducks. they pull off a harrowing highway crossing. we'll show it to you right after this. [ female announcer ] imagine skin so healthy, it never gets dry again. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended
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sounds like a bad joke but how did a family of ducks cross the road? very, very carefully. look at this video. this is a harrowing highway journey for a mother duck and her ducklings. it's gone viral. this happened in may in toronto, canada, highway 407. look at the car speeding -- >> whoa! >> we're going to tell you right now. it doesn't get worse than that. it has a happy ending. but look at this. >> you'll see in a second where literally the eight little ducklings get rolled. >> making a break here. >> it's like that atari video frogger. >> whoa! >> see, they got rolled.
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>> who takes their babies on the road in the first place? if you're on a road and certainly like a duck or a squirrel comes out in front of you, you have to make a split-second decision whether you swerve or it's too bad for the duck. >> exactly. and you've got traffic around you. >> terrifying. i'm hiding my eyes. >> it's hard to watch that. >> when i see a bird and i'm driving, i expect the bird to fly away. it's part of the social contract. >> we had a deal! >> then there's that moment when you hear ba-bump and someone broke the contract. >> we give you a very important assignment at the convention. we are going to talk more about the dress that mrs. obama wore during her speech but you had a more specific assignment. >> speaking of important news events to cover, a lot of people want to know what was on michelle obama's nails because
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it was kind of an unusual nail polish. i can now report to you from a senior source in the administration, it was artistic stale design color gloss and the color is vogue. the gel, you got to go to the salon and get the gel on. you can't just do it yourself and then it stays on for 30 days or something. >> i've done a gel thing -- >> you've done a jail thing? hold on, let's found out more about this. >> have you ever been to a turkish prison before? >> i was going to say she looks so sweet. we never knew she'd been in the pokey. >> good stuff. >> meanwhile, did you get a whiff of president obama's after shave last night? >> that was good, too. >> we'll have more on that tomorrow. >> also meet the designer of the dress mrs. obama wore, plus eva longoria after the news.
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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> busy one, especially for motorists on eastbound i-70. heavy delays due to an accident that is off to the left shoulder, creating a backup in the eastbound direction. hoods mill road, watch for crash taking up the left lane. heavy delays, all volume- related. another problem is on route 1, shut down due to an early- morning fatal crash between castleton road and shuresville
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road. that investigation is continuing. eastbound aviation blvd. at 176, watch for a crash test in. update on i-70. you can see it is calling from west friendship towards the beltway. hopefully those delays start to dissipate. that is the very latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the weather has not been too bad this morning. 75 at the airport. dew points are in the upper 60s and low 70's. 30% chance of a shower or thunderstorm into the morning and afternoon. high temperatures between 85 and 90. seven-day forecast, it will stay
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warm tomorrow. cold front will get rid of the heat and humidity. heat and humidity. but it makes millions off marylanders every year. now they're running dishonest ads. why? because voting for question seven is a vote to build a...
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world-class resort casino in maryland. creating thousands ojobs and... ...according to the official department of legislative... services, hundreds of millions for our schools. while saving taxpayer money by cutting casino subsidies. question seven. good jobs and better schools in maryland. not west virginia. so let's talk about coverage. based on this chart, who would you choose ? wow. you guys take a minute. verizon, hands down. i'm going to show you guys another chart. pretty obvious. i don't think color matters. pretty obvious. what's pretty obvious about it ? that verizon has the coverage. verizon. verizon. we're going to go to another chart. it doesn't really matter how you present it. it doesn't matter how you present it. verizon. more 4g lte coverage than all other networks combined.
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8:00 now on this thursday morning. it's the 6th of september, 2012. we say good morning to everyone gathered on that plaza in new york city. i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic national convention in charlotte, north carolina. matt and al are back in new york city. guys, things wrap up here tonight. of course with president obama's acceptance speech. he's not the only person that will address the delegates tonight. the actress eva longoria is slated to speak. we'll catch up with her and get a preview in a moment. also you have to stop sending me e-mails asking about president obama's convention dress. we are going to talk to the
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woman who designed it so finally all your questions will be answered. >> so far you have handled nail polish and fashion in one show and politics. >> i'm trying to work here. >> we're really into tracy reese. come on. >> she's right there in the studio, as you mentioned. and from here we'll go into the kitchen. today she'll make one roast chicken and turn that into three distinctly different dishes. >> very nice. and a little bit later on we'll get the latest on the hollywood buzz, including the story of a leading hollywood man who has taken the road to sobriety. >> before we go any further, let's go to natalie for a check of all the headlines. take it away. >> good morning, everyone. president obama takes the stage at the democratic national convention tonight to accept his party's nomination for a second term. the president's handling of the nation's economic recovery received a powerful defense
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wednesday night from former president bill clinton. the president then joined the ex-president in an unscripted convention appearance. the crowd roared with its approval. you can see president obama's speech tonight starting at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific time. >> there is more economic concern today. the government says the number of americans getting food stamps reached 15% in june. that is a record high. economists say they don't expect any improvement until more people found jobs. >> former baltimore ravens owner art modell has died. the team said he died early today at johns hopkins hospital where he was admitted on thursday. a cause of death has not been given. >> jurors will try to reach a verdict in the murder trial of former chicago police officer drew peterson. he's pleaded not guilty to killing his third wife in 2004. wednesday jurors asked to see
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pictures of her body again to help determine if her death was a homicide or accident. >> two people watching works are demolish a parking garage in south florida were hurt by flying debris when all four floors started to buckle. and now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "night any news." >> michelle obama wowed this audience on tuesday night. it's her husband's turn tonight. we'll talk to her about the challenges in her role during our interview today. we'll have that for you coming up on "nightly news." for now, back to you. >> and what's trending. what has you blogging on line. this is questioned about what is acceptable behavior.
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this woman was stunned to see this woman was potty training her two daughters at an eatery in utah. >> and a blogger has taken a picture of himself every day for 12 years and strung them all together for a rapid lime lapse for a mesmerizing montage of his age progression. it amounted to more than 4,000 photos. >> the entire "mad men" cast has been rickrolled. the 60 era actors appear to sing along to ricks anly's 1987 hit single "never going to give you up." take a look. >> well, for those who may not know, rickrolling involves po posting a alopos
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posting a link to a video only to have it played back to the rick astley song. >> i played that song a lot growing up. >> you just played it this morning. >> i did. it's on my ipad. >> got-r-done, 50 cities. >> yes, i did. >> our today's pick city, detroit, michigan, partly sunny, 82 degrees. it's going to be a nice day today. we have remnants of isaac down in the gulf. another front coming in from the plains. so we're looking at a risk of strong storms in the mid plains. going to be hot given in texas today. dangerous rip currents due to
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hurricane leslie out in the atlantic, stretching from the florida coast to the mid-atlantic. and look for more showers >> good morning.he northernin the temperature will be way above average for this time of year. a mixture of sun and clouds. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thanks. we have the associate dean for student affairs for oklahoma university. who you guys playing this weekend?
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oh, are you going to have a long trip home. let's get a check of the weather from -- osh, no, we just did that. when we come back, we'll meet the lady who designed michelle obama's dress she wore at the convention. that's tracy reese. she's inside our studio. and also we're going to take a look at savannah's interview with eva longoria down in charlotte. but first, these messages. letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. google, how far is earth to the moon? moon is 238,900 miles... the great moment had come... ...3...2...1 to make just about anything delicious.
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. back now at 8:09. when first lady michelle obama walked on to the stage tuesday night, she got rave reviews for that dress. it was created by fashion designer tracy reese. tracy, good morning. good to you have here. >> great to be here, natalie. >> i know mrs. obama is a big fan of yours. she's won your dress on i think 15 occasions, public and in her private life. you sent a couple of ideas for her to consider. did you have any idea she was going to wear your dress? >> we had no idea. we were warned there might be a possibility. they weren't sure until the last minute. until she stepped down at the stage, we didn't know. we were still at the office because it's fashion week so we're prepping and i got a phone call from our controller and she's like "mrs. obama's wearing our dress." we got online immediately and
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streamed the whole speech. we were all crowded around listening to every minute. it was such an amazing night. >> when you saw her wearing that particular dress, what did you think? >> i thought that she made the right choice. because i didn't know what she was would need or how she would feel or what she was planning the moment to be so i just wanted her to have choice and i wanted her to choose us. but she made an excellent choice because she looks gorgeous and the color looks so pressure. >> how would you describe -- what is that material? it looks almost satiny. >> it's actually a silk jacquard and it's a blend silk. >> is it red or coral? >> it's hot pink with rust and copper mixed all together. >> this is not a dress setting just yet. it's a future collection. >> it was something we were doing for later.
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>> and price range retail? >> under 500. >> so affordable for some. >> for some, exactly. >> who want to look like mrs. obama. >> another thing, the sleeveless look, she's made it her signature trademark to wear sleeveless. but some people may question the choice of on a night that is perhaps one of the biggest nights in this term certainly for her to go sleeveless, what did you think of that? >> i just thought she looked beautiful. she was showing off her assets. i there's nothing wrong with having great arms and showing you're a beautiful, strong, powerful woman. >> course her nails made a big statement as well. we have discovered, as you heard, the nail polish cover, the artistic gloss color gel and the color here that i have it is vogue. nail polish is not something that you think of so much but in this case it seemed to complement the dress, right? >> we think about nails all the
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time. we develop exclusive colors for our show every season. it's become the next accessory. it's something that almost everybody can access. you can get a bottle of nail poll, for $5, $6, $9, $3. >> this one is selling out apparently. >> i'm sure. it's a great accessory. the sky is the limit with colors so it's a lot of fun to play with. >> we're looking forward to the tracy reese dress soon. soon you say? >> very soon. >> congratulations to you. have a great week at fashion week. your show is sunday. good luck with that. breen wi brian williams will have an interview with michelle obama tonight. >> and eva longoria works with a number of political groups. good morning. it's good to see pup.
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>> good to see you. >> you look all relaxed and happy. are you nervous about tonight's speech? >> very. to have the honor to speak to the american public is daunt bug i'm ready. >> we've seen in this convention there's been a real emphasis on getting women voters, getting latino voters. you happen to be both. do you think there's an enthusiasm gap in those communities this time around? >> no, no. i think what's important is that the campaign, our campaign has not taken these for granted. i think everybody assumes women are going to vote democratic and a latinos aren't but if you look at obama's track record in his first term, he has really spoken to these communities. obviously with women he's just moving us forward, moving the country forward for women, whether it's equal pay for equal work or small businesses which women open a lot of businesses and health care, access to
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health care. as far as hispanics, doubling the pell grant allows more his pans iks to go to school, the april fordable care act has allowed 9 million more hispanics action ses to health care. >> he did tackle with the dreamers and the people who have come here by no fault of their own. a comprehensive no. he needs the cooperation. immigration is not the top issue for latinas. it's the economy and health care. immigration is on the list but it's not at the top. and coming and hearing marco rubio's and governor martinez and how their parents came.
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we'll heard julian speak and we saw him tell us his american dream story and how he was able to achieve what he has and how obama has treated immigrants in this country and knowing that this is a market within our own borders that we need to pay attention to, the latino market is very important to us. >> you're obviously well versed in these issues but you know the criticism. any time you have a celebrity and actress come out and talk about politics, there are people thinking, okay, come on, what does an actress know about politics. what's your response to that? >> i'm very literate on policy, i'm very literate on the issues and i'm an american first. i've been involved in politics long before i was an actress. i just happen to have a platform now. i happen to have a voice. watching clinton last night, he was the first campaign i volunteered for in 1992. so i've been involved for a very long time. i care deeply about our country. i find it irresponsible for
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people to go she's an actress, what does she know. if you're a dentist what do you know? if you're a lawyer what do you know? it's our profession, it's not who we are. >> what did you think of clint eastwood's speech last week? >> i still have not seen it because of excerpts on shows. i'm like a news junkie. i haven't seen the whole speech. he had a different narrative. everyone keeps comparing us because we're in the entertainment industry. i've been out there speaking on behalf of obama's record, i've been in the trenches. so my narrative tonight with my speech and what i'm going to tell the american people is very different than what clint did. >> no empty chairs? >> no empty chairs. >> eva longoria will be speaking right behind us there. i gave you a little burst of nerves, didn't i? >> yes. >> coming up next from new york,
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it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™. cooking with g. >> -- giada today. you say people ask you for chicken recipes more than anything else? >> yes. >> a tip, do you have to wash this off first?
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>> yes, just make sure you dry it very well otherwise it staeas in the oven. >> you're going to mack ke it w root vegetables and then you're going to turn it into three dishes. >> you're going to take the softened butt are and add the herbs. i am in the cavity of the chick i don't know putting lemons and herbs. this will steam in here and give lots of flavor to the meat of the chicken. a lot of stuff they put stuff on the outside but you got to flavor the inside as well. >> all right. now where is this going? >> i don't have any twine so -- >> just pretend. hold it with your hand. we won't do it in the oven but
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we'll put it together like now. >> you probably don't want to get your hands dirty. >> are you going to do it under the skin? >> you stick your fingers underneath the skin a little bit, we take this butter. since you don't like do this -- >> as long as you're already doing it, go ahead. >> exactly, let me do all the work. you stick it underneath there and then you put it on top. >> we're going to pretend you've done that whole thing here. >> you're going to do that. those are the veggies. you have potatoes, carrots, parsnips, add shallots, parsnip. there's my chicken. legs are closed. add olive oil, salt and pepper. the broth is for when you're getting everything in the pan. i'm getting your glasses and
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notes all wet. >> that's okay. >> so we put those right in the roasting pan? >> yes, with the chicken and then add the broth. this is good. i'm just going to stand here and let you do it. >> there you go. go with the broth. did you add salt and pepper to the veggies? >> i did. >> excellent. goes in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour and a half. it's about 20 minutes a pound. that goes for turkey as well. >> this is what it looks li like when it comes out. if i'm going to make a chicken, i'm going to go for a 5 or 6 pounder so there are leftovers. >> you have to taste the chicken. >> dish number two is one of my
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favorites, risotto. >> brown the bacon, saute the onions. then i add lemon juice and wine to keep it fresh, a cup of our b borio rice. >> most people think hisotto is on the stove, stir, stir, stir, this one goes in the oven. >> put the lid. this goes in the oven for 20, 5 minutes. you think think it looks a little brie drye. we add about a couple of broth to listen it up a little bit. >> do you put it back on the stove? >> yes. usually the heat from the pan will wilt the kale and add the other ingredients. >> your they're dish would be?
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>> a light salad with chicken and i make a roasted root vegetable dressing to go over the top. >> very smart, effic >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on your. morning commute with. >> still trying to recover from the eastbound i-70 accident prior to the beltway. all lanes are open, but still, a lot of traffic. delays begin just past the west friendship exit. average speed, 19 miles per hour. very slow conditions, 16 miles per hour at harford road. those continue from 95 towards the harrisburg expressway. southbound j.f.x. is filling up, creating delays on the inner
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loop prior to greenspring. 95, heavy delays out of mountain road all the way down. and closed between shuresville road and darlington due to an early morning accident. at 29, you can see that line of traffic. john collins joins us with a look at the forecast. >> a lot of clouds this morning. winds are northeast, humidity up. two. temperatures at 68. we of the forecast calling for 85 to 94 the high. this will be in the neighborhood today, but just a slight chance for a shower or thundershower.
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saturday and sunday, rain chances go up a bit, but on sunday, we start to bring in drier air. >> another update at 8:56. >> another update at 8:56.
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so let's talk about coverage. based on this chart, who would you choose ? wow. you guys take a minute. verizon, hands down. i'm going to show you guys another chart. pretty obvious. i don't think color matters. pretty obvious. what's pretty obvious about it ? that verizon has the coverage. verizon. verizon. we're going to go to another chart. it doesn't really matter how you present it. it doesn't matter how you present it. verizon. more 4g lte coverage than all other networks combined.
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it's 8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 6th day of september 2012. rockefeller plaza filled with a lot of happy faces this morning. we're happy to give them a moment to shine, even on kind of a cloudy day in new york city. earlier we had a little fun with our friend from oklahoma university, one of the deans of student there is. i asked him who the sooners were
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playing this weekend. he had a brain cramp. go ahead, sir, give it to me. >> florida. >> you can now go home. perfect. >> savannah is down in charlotte covering the democratic national convention. more from her in a while. and look who is working the crowd over here, comedienne and actress wanda sykes. she'll give us her own talk on presidential politics in a couple of minutes. >> and then we're going to go face to face with the rodney dangerfield of the animal world. we're talking about snakes and all kinds of creepy crawly things. >> ooh! >> a bat, yikes. >> bat boy. >> okay. and then later all that is new and noteworthy from hollywood,
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including a new role from katie holmes following her break up from tom cruise. >> meanwhile you've have a check of the weather? >> i do indeed. starting with tomorrow we'll be looking at a risk of strong storms, sunny and hot out west, hot along the east coast. saturday rain up and down the eastern sea board, western two-thirds of the country, sunny to hot, cool up in the great lakes. sunday, sunday morning showers in new england, hit-or-miss thunderstorms around florida. gorgeous in the texas raejon, sunny and hot there. afternoon showers >> good morning. it will be another warm and humid day with a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm.
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>> and that's your latest weather. >> people just tuning in may think what the heck are they doing now? we would like to say hi to the emmy award winning host of survivor and now the new host of a new daytime talk show called the jeff probst show. ladies and gentlemen, jeff probst. >> how are you doing? >> these are from our lighting director. >> we're carrying a torch for you. >> you're going to turn them over to me? i think you should hold them. >> the show starts monday, right? >> yeah. >> how long you have been wanting to do a daytime talk show? >> i thought about it for a while. when i got married and became part of this family with these
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two kids calling me daddy, it all shifted and i started realizing i think i have something to connect with now. >> "survivor" fans, it's important to note, you are not giving up survivor. >> no, it continues on the 19th, our 25th season. >> that's unbelievable. >> it is crazy. and this next season is as good as anything we've ever done. >> going back to your talk show, what are we going to see? what's the focus going to be? >> i realize doing daytime i have a very short attention span. the show is really designed to check in with different stories every day that are all united by a theme. it could be inspiring women working in television or it could be stories having to do with bank, a bank robber, bank robber and piggy bank. three different types of stories relating to interesting, entertaining people and then we have a couple other segments on the show, guys on the couch.
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>> you have your wife working for you? >> yes, she's working on the show as well. she'll pop in and check me, tell me when i'm doing it right and when i'm doing it wrong. >> the jeff probst show debuts monday. check your local listings. >> you should. it will help if you find it. thanks, guys. >> when we come back, wanda sykes will give us her take on politics and a lot of other things. there sheis. but first, this is "today"
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back now at 8:37 with award winning comedienne and actress wanda sykes, a woman who pulled no punches when she performed president correspondents dinner in president obama's first year in office.
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>> first black president. that's unless you screw up. and what's up with the half white guy? what's up with you and joe biden getting the hamburger? you can't hang out together. whose idea was that? nancy pelosis? you over there patting the queen on the back like she just slid into home plate. way to go, queen. >> we're still laughing about that one. sykes is going up to moderate a series of election specials for the logo network called "new, now, next, vote with wanda sykes." when you look back at that performance, first black president, you're the first african-american woman set to perform before this white house correspondents dinner, also openly gay. was all that of in your mind? were you nervous? did you feel the pressure? >> i was very nervous when i got the phone call to do it. but then i just approached it as i am a comedienne, just show up and be funny. at first i thought i have to be
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presidential, a lot of important people. and i said they asked for wanda sykes so i'm going to show you. >> thank goodness you showed up. you gave us all a good laugh. the democratic platform now includes same-sex marriage equality so strides have been made but a lot of people in america still don't want to go there. what do you say to them? >> that's the thing, no one has given me a good reason or even a sound reason of how my marriage affects your marriage. you know? and then people get all uptight about it. i hear when they hear "same sex," maybe they just hear "sex," and they hear i bet their life is 90% sex and 10% parades. sex and floats, that's all it is. we're having all the fun, all the fun.
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sex and parades, that's it. but i like to say that, you know, we go through the same problems and everything. then i go maybe they think it going to be mandatory. maybe they think -- i don't want a same sex marriage. fine, you don't have to have one. it's not going to be mandatory. if you don't want a same-sex marriage, don't marry someone of the same sex. it very easy. >> you are married to your partner. you were married to a man once, you're divorced. but now you're married to alex. you talk about the challenges of not just being black, you say it's harder to be gay in america than black. tell us about that. >> i never had to come out black. i didn't have to sit my parents down and go, mom, dad, i got something to tell you, i hope you still love me, i'm black. you know. oh, god, not black, anything but black, lord! >> now, this election special, i
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know you're there, you're going to be moderating it for logo television. i want to throw out prominent campaign names for you. bill clinton. big speech last night. >> a great american. one of the best speeches ever last night. he just loves this country. he's such a great president. like i said, that speech, he is -- >> went long but didn't matter. >> i don't care. he could still be talking, i'd listen. >> paul ryan. >> paul ryan. eddie haskell. >> for whatever reason. eddie haskell. mitt romney. >> forrest gump. he's like the forrest gump of candidates. whatever situation he's in, he adapts. he was in michigan. he was like, i like cars. he's in wisconsin. i had a cheese sandwich. that was good.
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and that's it. it's whatever. he's like a chameleon. >> and he's still going and going so it's no stop mitt, right? >> and michelle obama? >> oh, wow. i mean, her speech was incredible. she's such a beautiful woman, a great first lady and, man, nice biceps. >> and that dress, too, right? >> yes. >> and barack obama. >> that's my president. you know, i think he's doing a great job considering what he was left with and, you know, i'm not going to say who i'm going to vote for but you know i'm going to vote for barack obama. >> i'm guessing that just based on what we've said here so far. meanwhile last time you were here you had newborn twins, they're now 3 years old, going to school for the first time? >> today's the first day of school. i can't believe how fast it goes by. but at 3 i don't remember going to school when i was 3.
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>> well, they start younger now these days. >> it's because we want them out the house. that's what it is. it's parents going, hey, get out the house. but they're great. my son, his head is -- he's catching up to his head. he had a giant head. and i was nervous. i said first day of school, i might have to put a helmet on him just because he bumps off the wall and everything. >> you said it's like his gps, right? >> it is. the head just tells him which way to go, he heads that way. hopefully the kids won't tease him too much. he's going to be great. he's going to be fine. >> good luck to them. so great to have you here. you're going to be helping us host the next hour. we appreciate you sticking around. the new election special airs on september 10th. still ahead, everything that is new and noteworthy in hollywood.
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first, this is "today" on nbc.
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back at 8:45. a respected radio show host and book author. his latest book "true legend." good to see you. 16th book? >> 16th book. it's been the most amazing thing in my life is finding out how much kids still want to read. >> is this your main gig? >> i'm hoping that this -- the books on the shelves are going to be the thing that i'm remembered best for. >> you know what i think of, i
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was thinking of this has a guy, who grew up reading matt christopher books, i think the young people reading your books today will store them away and give them to their kid and that will be the greatest compliment. >> when i was reading to my boys, i didn't realize the kind of books i read as a boy, i'm writing them now. >> not only are these books about sports and they have a sports angle but there's a lesson in these books. what is it in one? >> that it's as important to be a great friend and teammate as it is a good player. the thing about lebron is lebron is known as being a great teammate and he is not at the start of this book and he learns the value of friendship by the end of this book. >> you bring in a bit of the super natural in this book.
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you introduce a character who is kind of a ghost until he's revealed more to the reader. tell me about him. >> he was informed by the great david thompson, who was michael jordan before michael jordan and his career got side wears because of personal problems, he finally fell down steps at studio 54 and that was pretty much the end of his basketball career. he informs the character of urban sellers, urban legend, hence the title of the book. and what he tells this young man is how quickly it can go away from you if you don't keep an eye on what's important. >> so the main character, drew robinson, is he a good kid or is he just a confused kid confused by his talent? >> he's been confused by his talent, begins to believe his own hype and takes his eye off the ball and start to believe -- build goldman once wrote a great thing. he said movie stars are exactly
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the same as the rest of us, september all day long nobody ever says no to them. that's what's happened to this boy. >> when someone like you comes on the show, often the publicist will send as you bioabout you so you're better informed. lupica has been a regular on the cbs morning news, good morning america and the macneil-lehrer newshour. is anything left out there? >> this book is about accountability and i had nothing to do with writing this bio. >> we're not even mentioned in the bio? not even a foot dpnote? >> let me tell you something, there's a bat flying around the studio. >> it's a vulture, by the way. >> it's a thing i don't want to come over here. >> not even a mention, lupica?
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>> that's just wrong. this new book is a great one. it's your last appearance here so the book is "true legend." up next, we'll answer the call of the wild with that bird that just freaked mike out. wççñçñ
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this morning on today's "call of the wild," misunderstood animals that we'll deserve our respect. julie, good morning, i am looking at this bat, which is kind of freaking me out. all of these animals today are going to freak a lot of us out. >> that's exactly why i brought them. so many people misunderstand and don't appreciate so many of the beneficial animals that actually help us out so much. and this bat is a great example. it's probably one animal that is the most misunderstood. >> is this a vampire bat? >> no. and out of the 1,200 species of bats that there are, there's only three that actually drink people's -- they don't even drink people's blood, usually cattle or something like that. this is a fruit bad from africa. >> apparently not a banana fan. >> doesn't like bananas. >> what most people don't realize is just how amazing
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these animals are. but there's a lot of myths. let's have a pop quiz. >> are they rodents? >> they're primates. they're in a class all their own. >> are they blind? no. they use eco location. >> he's digging into your arm. >> these are his thumbs. >> and they're insect eaters. in texas there's millions of mexican free tail bats. these bats go out every night and actually consume 200 tons -- >> ooh, there goes the bat. >> 200 tons of insects every night. and when they're fruit eaters --
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we'll put him back up here. when they're fruit eaters, they actually disburse all those different type of seeds and they pollenate as well. one more thing we have to say, not all bats have rabies. it is found that less than 1% of bats have rabies. >> do we know about this one sp. >> didn't know you were going to go to the rabies. >> these guys are adorable. not so little. >> they're only four months old. these two live right now at bush gardens, williamsberg, where they are helping to dispel myths about wolves. >> like what? >> we all grew up with wolves eating grandma. we think they're going to attack
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us. they are actually very timid, which is one reason we have their companion dogs with us. dogs are calm, they're dommest ka -- domesticated. >> what about the lone wolf? >> doesn't want to be one of the pack. >> if you do find wolf pups, better to stay away, right? >> yes. we have a wolf pup that a tourist unknowingly picked up thinking the mom wasn't around, the pack wasn't around. well, later it was determined that, you know, it needed a home so these two pups are its pack mates. it will be introduced to adult wolves. >> really quickly can we bring in the vulture? >> matt, you put on this glove and one of you guys put on this glove. >> why are vultures so important to us? >> vultures -- people think vultures are disgusting and
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dirty but nothing can be further from the truth. >> i'm standing far back. these are actually the birds that clean up the environment. they are nature's recyclers. >> come on, violet. >> very gentle, huh sp. >> you're going so cautious here. >> they ingest >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. former ravens owner art modell has died. he died at johns, and hospita -- of hopkins hospital of natural causes 4:00 this
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morning. his sons had been at his side. he was seen last month at one of the
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>> grey, humid morning, sprinkles around b area. chance of up thundershower developing. otherwise, clouds and a fewu ve
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